Sports Articles That Andrew Has Written
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Daily Dose: Trip To Lincoln A Memorable Experience
By Andrew Atwal
andrew.atwal@yankton.net
After starting my job with the P&D straight out of Journalism school at Michigan State University at the end of last May, I made my first trip down to Lincoln this past weekend to check out the University of Nebraska and take in the MSU vs UNL basketball game.
The trip was memorable. The fans at UNL, even though they don’t care for basketball too much just yet, were nice and cordial.
After a concessions worker saw me in my MSU shirt, he even said to take it easy on them during the game.
I thoroughly enjoyed the trip to Lincoln, which was with about 100 other Michigan State alumni members from the Omaha-area, but I also believe the new arena will serve UNL well.
Although the game was considered a sell out, it is known they don’t typically draw sold out crowds for most basketball. In addition, the Devaney Center does not have many amenities that newer arenas do. I don’t think it had enough concessions areas and bathrooms, and hopefully that will change with the new arena next year. The new arena might also help UNL a lot in landing top recruits to compete with the other schools in the Big Ten.
All in all, the weekend trip to Lincoln was enjoyable and I look forward to going down there for more events in the future. The fans were nice, the area was nice and it’s always nice to meet up with other college alumni. All told, a great first trip to the University of Nebraska.
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http://www.yankton.net/articles/2013/02/15/community/doc511db7f914b53450227155.txt
Wrestling Community Questions Removal Of Sport From Olympics
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| Yankton High School wrestlers celebrate with Royce Reisner, center, after he scored a victory in the 285-pound match on Jan. 18 in Yankton’s ESD dual win over Brandon Valley at the Summit Center. Area wrestling fans are shocked at the decision by the IOC to drop the sport from the 2020 Olympic Games. (P&D File Photo) |
By Andrew Atwal
andrew.atwal@yankton.net
The International Olympic Committee (IOC) decision Tuesday to drop wrestling from the 2020 Olympics is hitting home for many local wrestlers, wrestling officials and other members of the wrestling community.
At the IOC’s meeting, the committee was expected to drop the modern pentathlon, but instead decided to remove wrestling from the games based on various criteria, which included the sports popularity and how many people participate in the sport worldwide.
Dave Cornemann, who started wrestling in elementary school and went on to be a two-time state champion for Gregory High School, a two-time All-American at South Dakota State University, a national champion while in college, a wrestling coach and an official, said he was shocked when he heard about the IOC’s decision.
“I don’t think it’s a good idea for them to have dropped wrestling out of the Olympics,” he said. “The sport is popular among high school students across the country and it ranks among the most participated sport among high school students.”
Cornemann, a former Yankton High School coach, added that when schools went through the Title IX crunch years ago, a lot of high schools and colleges were forced to drop wrestling programs as a result of the law, but wrestling was able to weather that storm. He hopes it can weather this one too.
“Wrestling is one of the original sports of the Olympics,” he said. “I don’t know why they decided to drop it, but it could have been for financial reasons. It’s a big blow for the sport, but I don’t think a lot of kids start wrestling in elementary school or junior high thinking they’ll eventually become Olympic champions. I don’t think that’s why they go out for the sport to begin with.”
Dan Specht, who wrestled in high school and college and has also been an official for about 20 years, also can’t understand the decision.
“Wrestling has a long-standing history in the Olympics, so to drop that significant part of the Olympic history is tough to figure out. I think wrestling was dropped for political reasons,” he added. “Think about it, the IOC keeps a sport like Trampoline, but drops the most historic event of the core sports. I think it’s important to note that the deal hasn’t been sealed as of yet, but the recommendation is out there and must stand on its own merit.”
Ryan Hage, coach of the YHS wrestling team, said he was also surprised when he heard about the IOC’s recommendation.
“The IOC, which among other things, emphasizes equality and participation, is going against its very purpose by eliminating wrestling from the Olympics,” he said. “In the United States alone, there are more than 1 million wrestlers, and that is a small number when compared to other countries around the world.”
Hage added that men and women now compete for the right to represent their country in wrestling, with the dream of bringing home a gold medal. In the United States wrestling has the third highest medal count out of all the Olympic sports.
Despite that, he said he doesn’t think anyone knows why the IOC made the decision to drop wrestling.
“I don’t think anyone really knows why they made their decision. Figureheads for wrestling, like Dan Gable and John Smith, were caught off guard and did not know that there was even a possibility that wrestling could get cut,” he said. “Unfortunately, I think the decision was driven by money.”
Mark Manning, the head wrestling coach at the University of Nebraska Lincoln, and a Vermillion native, released a statement on the IOC’s decision, and said he’s just as shocked as everyone else is.
“Removing wrestling from the Olympics would have a far-reaching impact on our sport,” he said in the statement. “It not only greatly affects our current and future Olympians, but it would also damage the sport at the collegiate, high school and youth levels. Hopefully, the IOC will take into account the impact of this decision on the American and international wrestling communities and re-consider when they meet in May.”
Cornemann said the decision is a “big blow” because it takes the sport out of the national and international spotlight.
“The decision does not make any sense to members of the wrestling community,” he said. “There are petitions going around to, hopefully, reinstate the sport in 2020. I hope the IOC reevaluates their decision.”
Specht said he was saddened by the decision and it hit home for him because of the amount of great wrestlers South Dakota has produced.
“South Dakota has had some great Olympic wrestlers including Randy Lewis from Rapid City, Lincoln McIlravy from Philip, Bill and Jim Scheer from Mobridge, and Dennis Koslowski from Doland,” he said. “Those famous South Dakota wrestlers are some I’ve known and wrestled with. Now dreams like they had may be going away for our next generation.”
You can follow Andrew Atwal on Twitter at twitter.com/andrewatwal
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CLASS 9B STATE FOOTBALL PLAYOFF GAME
http://yankton.net/articles/2012/10/24/sports/doc508778315bf4c427019178.txt
SPORTSVIBORG-HURLEY POUNDS MARION IN 9B OPENER
BY ANDREW ATWAL
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PICK UP SOFTBALL
SOFTBALL: CHICO’S BAIL BONDS THUMPS ROGER GREEN AND ASSOCIATES IN BATTLE OF UNBEATENS IN NEW HOPE FITNESS SOFTBALL LEAGUE
By Andrew Atwal
For BucksLocalSports.com
As spring turns to summer, as nice, comfortable days turn to hot and unbearably humid days, there are some people in New Hope who try and beat the heat by taking part in the New Hope Fitness Softball League. That sure is some way to beat the heat.
Each week, softball teams gather at the New Hope-Solebury High School fields to engage in fun, but competitive action. However, what was unexpected when teams first began recruiting for players was how ridiculously hot the summer would be; over 20 days of 90-plus degree heat as of July 15.
Teams come from all over the area to play. Some of the softball squadrons include Havana Restaurant, Triumph Brewery, Chico’s Bail Bonds (of whom New Hope Mayor Larry Keller plays for), and Roger Green and Associates.
On July 15, Chico’s Bail Bonds played against Roger Green and Associates in a battle of two undefeated teams and what could be a championship game preview.
The sweat immediately began drenching from players’ faces even before the opening pitch was thrown. The temperature at game time hovered around 90 degrees, with humidity making it feel close to 100.
This is NOT the full article
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JV BASEBALL
BASEBALL: New Hope-Solebury JV team drops close one to Bristol
By Andrew Atwal
For BucksLocalSports.com
New Hope-Solebury’s junior varsity baseball team lost a close pitchers’ duel to Bristol High School, falling, 5-3, in eight innings yesterday (May 13) at home.
New Hope’s Evan Brown was dominant, despite the no-decision. Brown pitched seven strong innings, giving up three runs while striking out 12 batters. He also contributed on the base paths by scoring a run.
Brown was sailing through the Bristol lineup until the fourth inning when he gave up two runs on a double into the gap in the outfield. He gave up another run in the sixth on a two-out single which tied the game at three.
Sloppy play seemed to decimate the Warriors’ chances early in the contest.
They gave up a run in the first on a pop fly that should have been caught and two more in the second inning on a wide throw to first base and on a dropped fly ball.
However, Bristol fought back, scoring twice in the eighth inning to put the game away.
This is NOT the full article
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HOPEWELL BASEBALL
Baseball: Hopewell Valley Central finds a gem in James Harrity
By Andrew Atwal
For BucksLocalSports.com
This spring, the Hopewell Valley Bulldogs baseball team featured a pitching staff composed of mainly seniors. As the season progressed, however, the ‘Dawgs would find their rotation anchored by a junior — Jimmy Harrity.
Harrity quickly developed into Hopewell’s number-one starting pitcher, leading the team in innings pitched (51), strikeouts (45), and wins (9).
The 11th-grader will have to be even better next year because the Bulldogs lose some of their key pitchers, including Alex Mottle, Brian Miller, Travis Gerstacker and Ben Meer, to graduation.
For Hopewell coach Ken Harrison, Harrity exceeded his expectations.
“After the JV season ended last year, we had a meeting with the players and he was one of the guys who we expected to come onto the varsity team and pitch this season,” Coach Harrison said. “We didn’t know how well he would do, but we didn’t think he would go undefeated.”
Harrison went on to say that Harrity became Hopewell’s number one pitcher by season’s end, and became that pitcher that was going to go out and win on a consistent basis.
“For him to go undefeated and pitch against the quality of teams he did, it was a great surprise and was great for our ballclub.”
Going into next season, Harrison expects Harrity to be the Bulldogs’ number one pitcher.
“Next year, he’s not going to be under-the-radar anymore, so he is just going to have to come out next season and throw that much better.”
Harrity, however, still needs to work on his secondary pitches in order to become that much more effective.
“He throws a mid-80s fastball, a curveball, and a changeup. His fastball is his best pitch. His secondary pitches are getting better, and once he can throw those pitches even better, he will be even more difficult for other teams to beat.”
This is NOT the full article
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HOPEWELL VS PENNINGTON LACROSSE
Lacrosse: Hopewell defeats Pennington in rivalry for The Rock
By Andrew Atwal
For BucksLocalSports.com
In a rivalry featuring two schools that are separated by under a mile, the Hopewell Valley Bulldogs played host to the Pennington Red Raiders on Thursday in a battle for The Rock.
Hopewell staged a second half comeback to reclaim The Rock from Pennington.
Following a 1-1 tie after the first quarter, Pennington poured it on in the second; tallying three scores and shutting out Hopewell to take a 4-1 lead at halftime.
However, the second half was a different story.
The Bulldogs trimmed the lead down to two goals with a beautiful shot by sophomore Pat Ekel. Hopewell would trail by two going into the fourth quarter and hoped to keep the momentum going from Ekel’s goal. However, the Pennington lead could have been even less if not for a few remarkable saves by Red Raiders goalie Joe Alesio.
The first several minutes of the fourth quarter saw an evenly matched affair, but Hopewell took charge during the last five minutes of the game, scoring three times.
With just over four minutes remaining, Chaz Bell carved up Pennington’s defense to cut the Red Raiders lead down to just one goal. And then just a minute later, senior Ryan Mahn tallied his second goal of the game, which tied it back up at four.
When time was running out for the Bulldogs it again was Ekel who threw a shot past Pennington goalie Alesio which proved to be the game winner for Hopewell who finished off the season with an 11-8 record.
After time expired, the joy of victory and the agony of defeat was seen vividly on each teams’ bench.
Pennington players were yelling at underclassmen with one player telling the underclassmen, “I will not lose to Hopewell again next year.”
On the other hand, Bulldog players were in jubilation over the victory. With smiles reigning down on players’ faces, they quickly ran over and got The Rock to put back into Hopewell’s trophy display case.
Pennington was led by Ben Colallio, who scored two goals for the Red Raiders – a team that ended the year at 10-8 overall – winning four straight games going into the contest with the Bulldogs.
In addition to scoring two goals for Hopewell, Mahn recorded an assist as well. Elliot Rose and Kyle Farina also had an assist each for the Bulldogs.
After the game, Pennington coach David Donohue reflected on the loss to Hopewell.
This is NOT the full article
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NHS GIRLS SOCCER
Girls Soccer: For New Hope-Solebury, State Tournament brings a challenge and opportunity
By: Andrew Atwal
For BucksLocalSports.com
For the New Hope-Solebury Lady Lions a regular season featuring just two losses and district championship pale in comparison to what lies ahead for the team going into this week’s state tournament.
The season also contained three wins over archrival Chris Dock, including a win in the district championship, and two wins over Class AAAA schools (Plymouth Whitemarsh and Truman).
NH-S also saw outstanding contributions from freshman forward Meghan Wilson who scored over 20 goals in her first year on the varsity squad.
Head coach Chris Shank said that although Wilson has been outstanding this season, one player does not make a team. Shank also noted that although she is one of the smallest players on the team, she has stepped up at various times throughout the season.
However, heading into the state playoffs, the “X-Factor” for the Lady Lions could be how hot they have been playing in recent weeks. As a matter of fact, the team’s last loss was all the way back on April 24 against Saucon Valley in the Southern Lehigh tournament.
Coach Shank talked about the success the team has had this season.
“We have become a family. That’s our saying; your team versus our family.”
Success has surrounded the Lady Lions’ soccer program in recent years, including two soccer players last year that continued their careers at division one programs.
But Coach Shank noted that last year the team featured a lot of individual players, and this year the team has really come together as a family.
Shank even noted that the team has received contributions from many different players including from defenseman Emma Natale, who scored the second goal against Chris Dock in the district championship and who coach Shank noted was her “first goal (on Varsity) ever.”
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ALTON BASKETBALL FEATURE
BOYS HOOPS: Basketball runs through the bloodlines in the Alton family
By: Andrew Atwal
For BucksLocalSports.com
When talking about the Alton brothers, the term all in the family comes to mind, with the subject of basketball being the topic.
Will Alton is a Division III starter at Penn State Abington where last season, he averaged over 15 points and four assists a game as a sophomore for the Nittany Lions.
Max is a standout on the Hopewell Valley Central boys varsity team. Not only does he start for the Bulldogs, but he also averaged a little over 14 points per game as a junior.
Youngest of the Alton brothers, True, is a combination of Max and Will, according to his dad, Bob Alton. True plays AAU basketball where he averaged almost 13 points a game. He also was among the top scorers in the Hopewell Basketball Spring Hoops recreation league.
But first Will just wants to be better than everyone else.
“Will just does not give up. If the team is down by a significant amount towards the end of games, it does not make a difference; he fights until the end,” Mr. Alton said of son Will.
The six-foot guard has been dominating opponents at Penn State Abington where he relies on his speed to get to the basket and get easier, higher-percentage shots. Last season as a sophomore, he was named third team All-North Eastern Athletic Conference (NEAC).
Will led the Nittany Lions in free throws made and free throws attempted, sinking 120 of 163 shots from the foul line. Will also led the team in games started and minutes-per-game.
Although he was a sophomore last year, it was his first year at Penn State Abington because he transferred from Division II University of Wilmington, where he had a basketball scholarship. Will transferred because he did not like the team’s coach.
During the break, Will is also working hard to advance his skills while holding a summer job.
“I play basketball for about three hours each day and take around 500 shots daily. I also am involved with numerous local summer leagues and run a mile a day, jump rope, and lift weights five times a week,” Will said.
Though he knows a thing or two about the hoops game, Mr. Alton never coached Will.
“In fifth and sixth grade, he thought he knew everything about basketball,” Mr. Alton said. “But by the time he got into high school, he wanted to be better than everyone else and started listening to my advice, which helped his game.”
Note: This is NOT the full article
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ALL STAR FOOTBALL
FOOTBALL: South defeats North in annual All-Star Game
By: Andrew Atwal
For BucksLocalSports.com
If at first you don’t succeed, try, try again.
Conwell-Egan football coach Kevin Kelly took that mantra to task last Saturday night when he led the South senior all-stars to a comeback victory over the North in the 35th annual Bob Sands Memorial Bucks County Lions Senior All-Star Classic at CB West’s War Memorial Stadium in Doylestown.
Last year, the North, under the guidance of Archbishop Wood head coach Steve Devlin, defeated the South, 16-7, in Kelly’s first appearance in the classic, which pits the best senior football players in lower Bucks County against their counterparts to the North.
Though the game was held in the same location as last year, the outcome would prove much more satisfying to Kelly as well as the rest of the South all-stars.
While the North bolted out to a quick lead on the strength of a 13-yard touchdown run by William Tennant fullback Tyler Hamlet and a field goal in the opening stages of the second quarter, the tide would turn dramatically in favor of the South shortly thereafter.
Bensalem linebacker John Marcelline recovered a North fumble with seven minutes left in the second quarter, which lead to a touchdown strike on a pass from Conwell-Egan quarterback Anthony Singlar to Truman receiver Drew Peterson which cut the North lead to 10-7, going into halftime.
The South would keep the pedal to the medal in the second half.
Bristol RB Woodrow Vorters sprinted for a 46-yard touchdown run to give the South their first lead of the game at 13-10.
Later in the third quarter, Pennsbury RB Dante Devine added a three-yard touchdown run to expand the lead to 10 points, going into the final frame.
Devine added another score on a beautiful 81-yard TD catch-and-run from Singler late in the fourth quarter. Devine again struck in the final minutes on a 51-yard touchdown run to give South a 34-10 victory over the Northern All-Stars.
The South has now won the contest five out of the last six years.
Neshaminy RB/LB Stephen Stemme was awarded the sportsmanship award for the South while Singlar was awarded Most Valuable Player for the South; Tony Latronica captured MVP honors for the North.
After the game, South coach Kelly reflected on the win.
“It was just a great win for the kids. They really played outstanding football in the second half,” Kelly said. “We had to get Dante (Devine) in space and our quarterback (Anthony Singlar) played really well.”
Coach Kelly also emphasized how well his team was able to control the line of scrimmage in the second half, which was one of the reasons for the South’s big turnaround.
Vorters, who had a long touchdown run in the first half, talked about how much of an honor it was just to be named to the team.
“It meant a lot. I’m just a small kid from Bristol. I just wanted to end my High School career with a bang. I did not want to leave on a bad note,” Vorters said. “It means everything to me to be named to the team and I really feel accomplished for all I was able to do throughout high school.”
One of the keys to the South’s win was the play of Devine, who scored three times in the second half.
“It was just fun to play in this game. I got to play with a lot of my friends that I didn’t get to play with on Pennsbury,” Devine said. “It meant a lot for me to be named to this team.”
By Andrew Atwal 